In the cutthroat race for consumer dollars, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has pulled ahead. Shares in the world’s largest retailer rose 2% on Thursday after it reported an eye-popping 63% year-over-year increase in the latest quarter in US online sales, along with its eleventh straight quarter of year-over-year sales growth at established stores. It’s been a decades-long journey, but it seems …

The Industrial Revolution was probably the most important thing that has ever happened in human history. In the space of a few centuries, much of the human race, which had long hovered on the brink of starvation, was suddenly lifted into relative security through the power of new technology. But why did this amazing explosion happen? There are many theories, …

Bloomberg Spain sought to lure investment of as much as 3.9 billion euros ($4.3 billion) in its biggest auction yet for contracts to supply electricity from clean-energy sources, part of an effort to meet European Union targets. The government took bids to supply at least 2 gigawatts and as much as 3 gigawatts of power in time to meet the …